Local Army Veteran working to provide housing for veterans

Jim McKinnies is an Army Veteran who served for eight years as a Transportation Management Coordinator. He’s no longer active but he uses the skills he has learned to still serves and he does it through real estate.

“A lot of my life and my experiences have been built on my time serving my country," said McKinnies. “A lot of my responsibilities went into bringing in the troops and equipment for the surge in Iraq.

“I still try to do the best I can in our community here, to serve other veterans, to serve other people within the community. That’s what my passion is about, my passion is about carrying on that spirit of serving greater than ourselves and that’s what I learned in the military," McKinnies said.

“As a company and as a program what we’re trying to do is just recognize the service that so many people make and the contribution so many people make to our country and to our community," said McKinnies. "And Home for Heroes is just a way for us to show appreciation but it goes way beyond that particular discount. It goes into a level where they’re often overlooked and it’s our job to kind of shed a light on what these people do and call them a hero. That’s why it’s called Homes for Heroes. A lot of these people would never call themselves heroes. But it’s our job to say we think you are a hero because what is a hero? A hero is somebody that goes above and beyond, that is selfless service to our country to our community."

“Veterans Day is about those that are still around you. Your husband, your grandpa, your uncle, your aunt, those you can still talk to," said McKinnies. "That’s a day for you to go to them and say I appreciate your service, I appreciate and I understand or maybe I don’t understand what you’ve given for my freedom.”

Homes for Heroes doesn't only provide discounts for just veterans they also honor firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers, EMS workers and teachers.